I woke up, feeling dazed and confused. I didn't know where I was, and my memory of the day was blurry. Where…was I? Light was shining through a window, but I couldn't make out much of my surroundings. Maybe I was still loopy from the chloroform? I was apparently lying on the floor, though. I stood up, and almost immediately fell back down. Yep, it was definitely the drugs. I waited until the effects of the chloroform mostly wore off before trying to get up again. The window that was the only source of light in the room was open, but there were thick metal bars stretching across it. When I looked out the window, the drop to the ground was a good four stories. Even if I could somehow get the metal bars off the window, I wasn't sure if I was in any condition to survive the four-story fall.

The view outside was breathtaking. And I'm sure I would have been very enchanted if I was here of my own free will. Sandy beaches stretched out, melding in with the blue sea, sparkling in the sun. Birds chirped, and waves crashed into the shore, creating a very soothing sound. It was beautiful, but I didn't recognize the area.

Something was biting uncomfortably into the skin around my left wrist. In the dim light, I could see what looked like a metal bracelet, clasped tightly. I had no hope to get it off, but whatever it was, I did know it didn't belong on my wrist.

Giving up on trying to get the bracelet off, I walked around the room to find the door. It was surprisingly unlocked. I opened it, peeking outside cautiously. The ornate hall was clear of anyone. I briefly wondered who had kidnapped me. I hadn't had time to see anyone. I also wondered if Kurama and his family were okay…If anything happened to Shiori, I did not like to think of what he'd do…

This place I was trapped in was huge, and decorated in a European Baroque style. Fancy, and terribly expensive considering everything looked quite antique.

I heard voices, and a moment later, two men walked around a corner. I froze in shock, preparing to make a run for it if they tried to attack me. But they only glanced at me before continuing to walk past me as if I wasn't even there. And believe me, it was pretty difficult not to notice a massively-pregnant woman standing in the middle of the hallway.

Confused, I began to sneak down the hall, the way the two men had just come from. I walked into a dusty dining room. It didn't make sense that the whole place so far had bee clean and neatly polished, and yet this room was covered in dust and dirt. I walked around the room, examining it for anything suspicious. I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. But something was still odd about it. I decided to come back and search it further later.

I stepped out of the room, and immediately crashed into a large body. I stumbled back, fixing my eyes on what I'd hit. I gasped in horror.

Dr Seto Otome was standing in front of me, looking wickedly gleeful.

"How's our little patient?"

"You!" I snarled furiously, crouching defensively. "Get out of my sight, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Otome taunted. "Take a look at that bracelet on your wrist."

I peeked down at the bracelet, not noticing anything different from when I'd looked at it in the room. I was careful not to take my eyes off of Otome for more than a second.

Otome took a step closer to me, and I backed up. "That bracelet is a holy charm used to strip a demon of its powers. As you can feel, it's quite effective. You as weak and useless as a common human."

I gritted my teeth angrily, but I knew there was nothing I could do. Unfortunately, Otome was right. I was as helpless as I had been before becoming a demon. Even more so, because I didn't even have my laptop with me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked coldly, even though I already knew the answer.

Otome reached out to stroke my belly. I flinched in disgust at his touch. "Dinner, of course."

I growled, showing my teeth. I knew I wasn't very threatening at the moment, so I wasn't really surprised when he laughed at me. "You touch my baby, and I will rip you apart."

"Good luck trying," Otome said, still laughing. He turned and walked away from me.

**************

Over the next few days, I found I was able to go to any part of the mansion I wished. Every window on the first, second and third floors were barred, and jumping from anything higher would have killed my baby and/or me. I couldn't even find a door to the outside. I didn't see many other people around, just usually servants and a few guards. None of them paid any attention to me, and that was the way I wanted it.

I moved into a larger, more elegant room with a very comfy bed, and was fed generously. It seemed like Otome was trying to keep me as healthy as possible. I was glad that I wasn't be starved, but still…I didn't like the reason why he was taking such good care of me.

One day, I was sitting in my room, which was on the second floor. I stared out at the ocean from my window, and I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't even have to turn to recognize them as Otome's footsteps. I didn't make any move to acknowledge his presence.

"When are you due, Aya?" He sneered. I didn't answer. He leaned over the chair I was sitting in, breathing into my face.

"Do you know why I let you do whatever you please here?" He hissed. Yet again, I said nothing. "It's because, even if you had your powers, you would have no chance of fighting me and winning. You're still far too green."

"Well, yes, compared to you, old man," I snapped back. A weak insult, I know, but still, it seemed to have worked. Otome's mocking smile slipped from his face, and he slapped me across the cheek. I tasted blood.

"Remember your place, you little witch," he snarled, "Or I may not be so forgiving." He stalked out of my room, leaving me to spit out the blood on the floor.